Orange Roughy Sold Out!

[cover design by Graham Fletcher]

The Orange Roughy launch two weeks ago, on Sunday 9th of March, was a great success by any standards.

[Before: setting up the garden]

Michele Leggott spoke briefly about the book, and then gave it a ritual send-off with a touch from her ceremonial tokotoko Poet Laureate's staff. Bronwyn read out a lovely, heartfelt message from Thérèse in Iowa -- and then the rest of us relaxed in the sun, eating, talking and drinking wine. Oh, and a fair number of books appear to have got sold as well.

[During: Michele Leggott & Bronwyn Lloyd launch the book]

Since then, the orders have been coming in thick and fast. Top of the selling pyramid would have to be Peter and Margaret Lloyd of Christchurch (25+), narrowly followed by Greg Lloyd and his able lieutenants Sheryl and Fiona (20+).

[After: Michele in conversation with (l-r):
Greg & Mike Lloyd, Mark Fryer, & Margot Lloyd]




[photographs 1,3 & 4 by June Ross/ 2 & 5 by Greg Lloyd]

On the one hand this is very good news. The whole idea was to make some money very very fast to send to America. On the other hand, I'm afraid we'll have to disappoint those of you who've been putting off ordering a copy.

I'm sorry. We would have held some back if we'd foreseen quite such a rush, but the combination of individually screen-printed, hand-coloured covers with such a star-studded line-up of writers, has proved irresistible.

I know you thought I was exaggerating when I urged you to get in quickly, but they really have all gone now. Better luck next time, with our long-anticipated editio princeps of Michele Leggott's poetry chapbook hello and goodbye ...



Here's the text of Tazey's message:

Hello Orange Roughians!

Thank you so so much to everyone who has come along to today’s launch of Orange Roughy – Poems for Tazey.

It’s an incredible feeling to know that there are all these lovely folk gathered together to celebrate the launch of this gorgeous Pania Press book.

I don’t want to sound like I’m giving an Oscar acceptance speech, but I really do want to say thank you to everybody involved, but a few people in particular.

Thank you to all the contributors who so graciously offered their wonderful words to this book. It’s humbling indeed to have my poems nestled alongside Michele Leggott’s, Bernadette Hall’s, Bill Manhire’s, Michael Steven’s, Emma Neale’s and …well, I won’t list all the authors because that would take too long … you can read all their marvelous contributions once you’ve purchased at least two copies of the book each!

A big thank you to Graham Fletcher for his cover design and exquisite drawings throughout, and for donating so much of his time over the past few weeks, screen-printing and, get this, hand painting all the little orange bricks on the cover!
What a hero!

Thank you very much to John and June Ross for hosting what is I’m sure a very lovely afternoon tea in their garden.

But most of all I want to say thank you to Bonze (sorry, Bronwyn) and Jack.

What started out as a needy call home for some financial aid, has resulted in the most amazing display of creativity, generosity, sheer hard work and incredible tenacity.

I only know of a smidgen of the long hours and hard work that Bonze and Jack put into this production, but I think it’s such an overwhelmingly generous project and I can’t thank them enough for dedicating so much of their time to this book, and for being so totally awesome (or aaah-sim, as they say here).

I wish I could be there to help celebrate, but I’m definitely there in spirit.

New Zealanders rock!

Loads of love and gratitude to you all

Tazey

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